Clamp.



No. 732,160. PATENTED JUNE 30. 1903. J. BLACK.

- CLAMP.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 2'7. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

( 114 veni'or gui'Tne lg g J I 'f 1 1' I 68am 4; 3 d/ m W, 0 3' UNTTED STATES Patented June 30,1903.

JOHN BLACK, OF MENDOTA, ILLINOIS.

CLAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 732,160, dated. June 30, 1903.

Application filed August 27, 1902. Serial No. 121,162. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BLACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mendota, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, readily-adjustable, and at the same time powerful clamp for use more particu larly in clamping together blocks of wood after the same have been glued, although it may be used for other purposes in which a clamping device is desirable.

The invention more particularly relates to the means by which the jaws of the clamp are drawn together and by which the space between the jaws may be adjusted to meet the requirements of its use.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the clamp; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same, showing two blocks of wood in position to be clamped together before the jaws have been drawn together; Fig. 3, a side elevation of a modified form of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a View partly in section, showing the bearing-face of-the fixed jaw of the clamp of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a similar view showing the fixed jaw of the clamp of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 a modification of one of the elements of the clamp.

The clamp, as shown in Fig. 1, is constructed to have a rod or bar A, preferably angular in cross-section, although not necessarily so, provided at one end with a supporting-block a, set in transverse relation to the rod orbar, and provided at its other end with a fixed jaw B,having in its body a hole 6, into which the rod or bar is inserted and firmly held by means of rivets b or in any other desirable manner. The fixed jaw is constructed to have a bearing-face 0, consisting of two cars or wings c, with a groove 0 between them of sufiicient depth to provide for the vertical adjustment of the mechanism carried therein in order to adapt the apparatus for use in clamping blocks of varying thickness. The bottom face of the fixed jaw is arranged to lie in the same plane as the bottom face of the bearingblock, thereby affording a firm support for posed of two wings or ears d, having between them a slot (1, preferably of a less width than the width of the groove 0, and having behind the slot an enlarged recess (1 the slot and the recess preferably being of the same depth as the groove 0 in the fixed jaw. The body of the movable jaw below the rod or bar is preferably of a less depth or thickness than the body of the fixed jaw and the supporting-block in order that when the entire clamp,

is in place on a table or other support the movable jaw will be free to travel upon the rod or bar out of contact with the table or support.

Between the two jaws is a chain E, consisting of links e of a thickness to lie when in edgewise relation within the slot 01 of the movable jaw and of a width to prevent their being drawn out through the slot when in transverse relation thereto. The chain is preferably of a length to allow the movable jaw to be drawn back into contact with the bearing-block, thereby providing for a variety of' adjustments limited only by the extension of the rod or bar. At one end of the chain is a strap e, provided with flattened ears 6 the ears being spaced to lie and travel within the groove in the fixed jaw and at the same time having a sufficient lateral contact with the walls of the groove to prevent them from turning when inserted within the groove. The ears are adapted to straddle the head f of the adjusting-screw F, to which head they are attached by means of rivets or in any other desirable manner, and the adjusting-screw is of a diameter to lie within the grooves in the fixed jaw, its rotation therein being prevented, however, by the contact of the ears withinthe groove. The adjusting-screw, moreover, is of a length to allow of the adjustment of the chain in order to tighten the movable jaw of the clamp after the same has been brought in contact with the blocks or other material to he clamped. A washerf encircles the adjusting-screw exterior of the rear face of the fixed jaw, and this washer is of a diameter to afford a bearing-surface against the face of the jaw and ICO at the same time afford a bearing-surface for an adjusting-nut F, which latter is preferably provided with studs f for the pivoting thereon of a forked lever G, provided with arms g, each arm having a head g, although it is obvious that the adjusting-nut can be regulated by a wrench or in any other desirable manner.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modification of the clamp above described, the only difference being that the jaws are provided with additional ears for the reception of an additional chain E for the purpose of securing additional power when the clamp is adjusted and in order to prevent any possible binding between the movable jaw and the rod or bar when the movable jaw is being adjusted. As shown, the fixed jaw is provided with lateral wings or extensions H, between which is a groove or recess h, and the movablejaw is likewise provided with lateral extensions I, between which are a slot 11 and a recess 2", similar in all respects to the slot and recess shown and described in Figs. 1 and 2. The means for adjusting the chain E are in all respects similar to the means for adjusting the chain E,

' and the device as a whole operates in precisely the same manner as the device of Figs. 1 and 2. Although, as shown, the chain E is carried by laterally-extending wings, it is obvious that the chain may be otherwise 'arranged or that an additional chain or chains may. be adjusted either on the opposite side of the jaws or on the bottom thereof, in which latter case the jaws would be but duplicates of the jaws of Figs. 1 and'2.

In place of the chain hitherto described a rod J may be employed having therein recessed portionsj, which recessed portions are adapted to fit edgewise within the slot in the movable jaw in the same manner as the links of the chain.

In operation the material to be clamped is.

placed between the jaws and upon the rod or bar and in contact with the fixed jaw. The

movable jaw is then brought up into contact with the opposite end of the material to be clamped, and one of the plurality of links composing the chain is inserted edgewise into the slot in the movable jaw, the next adjacent rear link being of course in transverse relation to the slot and lying within the recess in the movable jaw. The entire chain and adjusting apparatus may be raised and lowered within the jaws to adapt itself to the thickness of the material to be clamped, and when posing the chain may be made to fit within the slot in the movable jaw regardless of the longitudinal adjustment of the chain by means of the adjusting-screw. After a desired link has been inserted within the movable jaw the adjusting-nut is turned upon the adjustingscrew, drawing back the latter and the chain attached thereto and causing the movable jaw to slide along the rod or bar and tightly clamp the material between the jaws. As shown, a pivoted forked lever is employed for the purpose of regulating the adjusting-nut, for the reason that such adjustment may be more readily effected by means of the lever than by means of an ordinary wrench, although the latter may be employed when desirable. The adjustment of the clamp of Fig. 3 is effected in precisely the same way, the only difference being that two nuts must be adjusted instead of one.

When the notched rod is employed in place of the chain, the operation is the same, the notches being inserted edgewise in the slot of the movable jaw and the adjusting-screw regulated as above described.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a clamp, the combination of a rod or bar, a fixed jaw mounted on the rod or bar, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the rod or bar, a longitudinally-adjustable connection extending across the space between the two jaws, and means directly attached to the adjustable connection and operating to tighten the same and retract the movable jaw, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a clamp, the combination of a rod or bar, a fixed jaw mounted on the rod or bar, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the rod or bar and provided with a slot, a chain connection extending across between the two jaws the links of the chain being of a size to slip edgewise into the slot in the movable jaw, and means directlyattached to the chain for tightening the same to retract the movable jaw, substantially as described.

3. In a clamp, the combination of a rod or bar, a fixed jaw mounted on the rod or bar, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the rod or bar and provided in its body with a slot, a chain connection extending across the space between the jaws the links of the chain being of a size to fit edgewise into the slot in the movable jaw, an adjusting-screw carried within the fixed jaw and directly connected with the chain connection, and an adjustingnut for regulating the screw-and-chain connection carried thereby, substantially as described.

4. In a clamp, the combination of a rod or bar, a fixed jaw carried by the rod or bar and having within its body a groove or recess, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the rod or bar, provided in its body with a slot, a chain connection extending across the space between the jaws having links of a size to fit edgewise within the slot of the movable jaw,

an adjusting-screw carried within the groove or recess in the fixed jaw and directly connected with the chain connection, and an adjusting-nut threaded on the adj Listing-screw for regulating the chain connection between the jaws, substantially as described.

5. In a clamp, the combination of a rod or bar, a fixed jaw mounted on the rod or bar provided with a groove or recess in its body, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the rod or bar, and provided with a slot in its body, an adjustable connection extending across the space between the jaws and adapted to fit and be held in edgewise relation within the slot in the movable jaw, an adj usting-screw within the groove or recess in the fixed jaw and directly connected with the adjustable connection between the jaws, and an adjustingnut carried by the adjusting-screw exterior of the fixed jaw for retracting the adj ustingscrew and adjustable connection and moving the movable jaw, substantially as described.

6. In a clamp, the combination of a rod or bar, a fixed jaw mounted-on the rod or bar and provided in its body with a groove or recess and having wings on each side of the groove or recess furnishing a bearing-face, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the rod or bar and provided in its body with a slot having on each side wings furnishing a bearingface and provided with a recess in its body behind the slot, the adj ustable connection between the jaws having links of a size to fit edgewise within the slot of the movable jaw and to lie crosswise within the recess in the cess, a washer carried on the adj lasting-screw exterior of the rear face of the fixed jaw, and an adjusting-nut threaded onto the adjusting-screw exterior of the washer, substantially as described.

7. In a clamp, the combination of a rod or bar, a fixed jaw mounted on the rod or bar and provided in its body with two grooves or recesses and provided with wings on both sides of the grooves or recesses forming a bearing-face, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the rod or bar and provided in its body with two slots and provided with wings on both sides of the slots forming a bearing-face, recesses in the movable jaw behind the slots therein, chain connections between the two grooves or recesses in the fixed jaw and the two slots in the movable jaw, two adjustingscrews lying within the grooves or recesses in the fixed jaw, and connected with the chains, and two adjusting-nuts threaded onto the adj listing-screws exterior of the rear face of the fixed jaw, substantially as described.

JOHN BLACK. 

